The Falklands government repeated on Tuesday its standing invitation to any current or future chair of the UN Decolonization Committee to visit the Islands and reiterated it welcomes any fact finding commission the C24 wishes to send.
The hydrocarbons policy within Falkland Islands waters is primarily a matter for the Falklands government and the UK is in no negotiations with Argentina over the future exploitation of any oil deposits found in the Islands waters, said Lord Howell of Guildford, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office during question time in the House earlier this month.
Argentina will file an official complaint against Britain for oil exploration activities in Falklands/Malvinas disputed waters before the United Nations Decolonisation Committee and have invited the C24 president to visit Argentina to hold a meeting on the issue in Buenos Aires.
Falkland Islands Members of the Legislative Assembly Roger Edwards and Dick Sawle will be in New York June 21 to attend the United Nations Committee of 24 sessions and later will meet US and Canada officials in Washington and Ottawa.
Gibraltar Opposition Leader Fabian Picardo will head for New York later this month to address the United Nations Committee of 24 as part of the opposition GSLP/Liberal policy of continuing to ask the C24 to de-list British Overseas Territory and formally close the decolonisation process.
The United Nations Special Committee of 24, (for the implementation of the declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples) will hold its annual regional seminar in Kingstown, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from 31 May to 2 June.
Argentina is multiplying its international presence to boost the sovereignty claim over the Islas Malvinas, which next June 23, ‘as every year will be ratified’ by the UN Decolonization Committee, said Argentine ambassador at the UN Jorge Argüello according to a report from Telam, the official Argentine news agency.
Cuba was elected last week vice president of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, also known as the Committee of the 24, exclusively in charge of promoting a decolonization agenda.
“We would like nothing better than to have a peaceful coexistence with Argentina”, said Falkland Islands Member of the Legislative Assembly Gavin Short addressing the UN Decolonization Committee.
The people of the Falkland Islands do not want to become part of Argentina and by pursuing its sovereignty claim “Argentina is seeking to colonise the people of the Falkland Islands”, said Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly Member Emma Edwards before the UN Decolonization Committee.